North-East Atlantic - Governing Instruments

The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic

Short Title: OSPAR Convention Year adopted: 21-22 September 1992 (UNEP 2001) Year entered into force: 25 March 1998 (UNEP 2001)

Supersedes: Oslo Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft (1974) and the Paris Convention for the Prevention of Marine pollution from Land-Based Sources (1978) (UNEP 2001)

Objective: In implementing the OSPAR Convention, 1992 the general objective of OSPAR is to prevent and eliminate pollution of the maritime area of the Convention and to ensure that the ecosystems of the maritime area are in a sustainable, sound and healthy condition and that human health is protected. In 1998 and 1999 the Commission adopted strategies for the purposes of directing its work in the medium to long term in the following five main areas:

Protection and conservation of ecosystems and biological diversity (cf. reference number 1998-19);

Together with the Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme (JAMP) (cf. Joint PARCOM and OSCOM Recommendation 95/1), these straegies form a vital basis of the present Action Plan for the period 1998-2003 (OSPAR Commission 2004).